The monitor glowed in the dark studio, a single headline burning across the screen: “Rihanna and ASAP Rocky’s Messy After-Met Gala Fight.” The host leaned forward, her voice low and steady.

“Rihanna and ASAP Rocky got into a heated argument after the Met Gala,” she said. “You could tell throughout the night that Rihanna got more and more annoyed by ASAP Rocky as he decided to pay attention to other women and ignore his wife. The tension blew over after the two left the Met Gala, and their argument was caught on camera. So let’s get into it.”

She pulled up the first clip.

“After the Met Gala, there were so many after-parties and so much drama has happened since then. So I wanted to give you guys an update on what’s happened. Kicking off this episode by talking about Rihanna and ASAP’s fighting. It seems like there was a lot of tension all night between them. And there’s one video that started the conversation online—the one of ASAP and Rihanna getting into an argument in their vehicle.”

She played the clip.

“Oh, shoot. But she’s tired.”

“She’s not happy.”

“They are not happy.”

“Don’t go up, guys.”

“Don’t go up.”

She paused.

“You can see that there’s something going on. She looks mad. She almost looks heated, like she’s breathing heavy. He looks like he can’t even make eye contact. Almost like he’s guilty of something.”

She pulled up a comment.

“They’re not happy. Are they arguing? Looks like we were partying when they left.”

“Looks like something happened. They spent like four hours getting her ready.”

“Oh, she getting closer. What’s that mean? She leaning in to make a point.”

She nodded.

“You can see she’s over it.”

She pulled up the defense.

“Every relationship out there has their problems and their fights. And when you are a celebrity, everything’s put under a microscope. This person says, ‘They’re human, aren’t they? Do we always have to be happy in relationships? Damn.’ Somebody else said that Rihanna must be hungry. ‘We heard about them plates at the gala. My good sis is breastfeeding, and she needs food, and ASAP should have anticipated that and had her snacks.’”

She pulled up the Met Gala menu.

“That made me question—wait, what did they eat at the Met Gala this year? Oh my gosh, no wonder Rihanna was pissed off. Okay, let’s go through the dishes they had. This was a heirloom tomato appetizer that was prepared to look like a green tomato. I mean, I love a green tomato, but this is just not appetizing at all. I can understand why Rihanna was hungry.”

She pulled up the lamb chops.

“We’ve got some lamb chops here. I mean, I love a good filet mignon, and I’m sure the lamb chop is good, but everything just looks kind of raw. I mean, even the vegetables look like they were boiled. Where’s the seasoning? Do you guys see even a flake of pepper on that asparagus? I don’t.”

She pulled up the dessert.

“Raspberry-infused chocolate. Okay, so you get one of these little tiny things. It looks like I would pass on each and every one of these. Let me know in the comments below—did any of that look appetizing to you? Do you want the heirloom tomato? Or maybe you want the no-seasoning lamb chop.”

She pulled up the first hinge.

“Rihanna is a billionaire. She could have ordered anything she wanted after the Met Gala. But she was stuck in a car with a man who spent the night ignoring her. That’s not about hunger. That’s about respect. And you can’t Uber Eats that.”

She pulled up the Kendall Jenner theory.

“The reports say that Rihanna and ASAP Rocky’s Met Gala evening went down just like a high school prom—a lot of fun, but then followed by what appears to be an emotional talk. I do wonder if they had a run-in with Kendall Jenner. At one point, ASAP Rocky was with Kendall Jenner, and Rihanna does not like her for multiple reasons. One of which is because she’s territorial over ASAP Rocky. And of course, Kendall Jenner had her fling with him.”

She pulled up the old Twitter exchange.

“It looks like their feud began back in 2012, 2013 when they had a Twitter exchange. Remember Kendall tweeted out, ‘If Rihanna doesn’t perform ‘We Found Love’ tomorrow, I’m going to be very upset.’ Well, I don’t think Rihanna was liking that command from Miss Entitled Kendall Jenner. She said, ‘Well, don’t come.’ I could totally see Rihanna—if she was performing this song, she would have just taken it off the list real quick.”

She pulled up the second hinge.

“Kendall Jenner told Rihanna what to do. Rihanna told her where to go. That was over a decade ago. And apparently, neither of them has forgotten. The Met Gala is just the latest battlefield in a war that never ended.”

She pulled up the moment that broke the internet. The video of ASAP Rocky talking to another woman while Rihanna stood alone.

“But then there was one moment that really stood out to me. A moment where you can see ASAP Rocky speaking to this other woman while Rihanna is just standing on the side, not really knowing what to do with herself. And you could see that she is so uncomfortable.”

She played the clip.

“I called you. I called you.”

“Bri, how you doing tonight? Good.”

“Yes. How are you?”

“Peace and blessings. You know, backstage live. You know what I mean?”

“What do you think about tonight? You had a good time tonight?”

“Look, I just got here, man. I’m just happy to see everybody backstage live.”

She paused.

“You can see that he was having the time of his life back there speaking to that person while Rihanna’s over here just making small talk because at this point she doesn’t know what to do.”

She pulled up the commentary.

“Some people say that ASAP Rocky is just too friendly. He needs to slow down. Her face—whenever he came closer, you could tell that she was so over him. He also just cut her off during the middle of this interview and just stood right in front of her. Leaving your lady standing while you giggle with other women is extremely disrespectful.”

She nodded.

“It’s the way that she’s smiling for the cameras, but you can see the ‘we’ll talk about this later’ in her eyes.”

She pulled up a comment.

“This happens when you give men like him a chance and marry him. It’s pretty clear that Rihanna is out of his league. But after he got her, it boosted his confidence, and now he thinks he’s this hotshot man that women can’t resist.”

She pulled up the third hinge.

“ASAP Rocky talked to another woman for so long that Rihanna became a bystander in her own night. That’s not friendly. That’s a choice. And the look on her face said everything her words didn’t. The mask slipped. And what was underneath wasn’t pretty.”

She pulled up the sweet moment. The one that reminded everyone why Rihanna was different.

“But there was a moment that brightened the mood in Rihanna’s night when she saw a journalist there and she had some really encouraging words for her. Take a look.”

She played the clip.

“So, what was your day like today?”

“Today was honestly hoping that I could meet the moment and catch somebody’s eye contact. So many people who come here on the carpet, it’s take, take, take. But my goal was to give, like give back. Because I feel like your talent gives us so much. I just want to deserve to be poured into as well.”

“Thank you. So can this be all about giving into everybody? You deserve to be poured into. You’re beautiful. You’re a black journalist, and I respect you, and I love you for this. And by the way, your outfit is—”

“I love you, Rihanna.”

She paused.

“See, those moments are why Rihanna is the woman that she is. And for those who may not know, Channel’s husband—the reporter who was there—passed away last year due to a battle with brain cancer. I’m not sure if Rihanna knows this or not, but I think the universe pulled them together so that moment could happen. That’s actually so sweet and beautiful. I feel like Rihanna has that kind of light about her. She made her year with those words of encouragement.”

She pulled up a comment.

“Black journalists are so important. Yes. Women supporting women is beautiful. They would have fired me because I would have ugly cried hard, and I would put this on my resume.”

She pulled up the fourth hinge.

“Rihanna spent her night being ignored by her man. But she took a moment to pour into a Black journalist who needed to hear that she mattered. That’s not performative. That’s who she is. And it’s the reason why—no matter what happens with ASAP—Rihanna will always be the one we root for.”

She pulled up the after-party looks. The fashion. The chaos.

“Now, the Met Gala is all for costumes and things like that. But the after-parties are where you have fun. Let’s go through some of the looks.”

She pulled up Hailey Bieber.

“Actually, this outfit was more interesting than the look that Hailey Bieber originally wore. She looks great. I mean, of course, no Justin around.”

She pulled up Doja Cat.

“Doja Cat’s after look was very similar to her normal look, and she gave very much pedestrian this year. Not impressed.”

She pulled up Katy Perry.

“Katy Perry. Something about the top portion of this outfit isn’t too well-fitting. Like around her shoulders—it’s a little bit too baggy. I can’t tell. I mean, the little thing around the skirt’s cute. Kind of reminds you of the Teenage Dream era.”

She pulled up Olivia Rodrigo.

“Olivia Rodrigo’s—I don’t understand what’s up with her trying to dress like—do we like this? I mean, I don’t know. It’s on brand for her. I’ll give you that. Actually, Olivia Rodrigo probably would have been at the Met Gala, but she skipped it after liking an anti-Balenciaga Instagram post.”

She paused.

“Right now, Olivia Rodrigo is on a slippery slope because she’s coming out with a new album, so she needs to be on her best behavior. And maybe going to the Met Gala wouldn’t make her fans happy.”

She pulled up the Reddit comment.

“This person on Reddit says that Olivia went to the Met Gala after-parties and has an exclusive Amazon vinyl partnership for her new song. So this whole thing is fake and performative because she’s booking with Amazon. But this person noted that the partnership is totally valid. It could be something that she contractually has to abide by. Sometimes your label runs you. That’s all I’m saying.”

She pulled up Hunter Schafer.

“Oh my gosh, did you guys watch Euphoria this past week? It has gotten so good. I’m actually in love with this season. I’m impressed. What do you guys think in the comments below? Because I’m dying to see the next one.”

She pulled up Tate McRae.

“Tate McRae looks so good. I mean, I don’t understand how she’s not like the number one pop star in the world because she’s just—it’s giving Britney Spears all over again.”

She pulled up Kendall Jenner.

“Kendall Jenner wore another plain look.”

She pulled up Jeremy Allen White.

“Here’s Jeremy Allen White, one of the ‘Heated Rivalry’ guys. I actually really like this suit. I would wear this. I have not seen the show, and you guys haven’t convinced me yet. But I did see that his co-star Hudson Wilson was headed home after a 7 a.m. party session. And I’m sure he’s just got a lot of things going through his mind and his system.”

She pulled up a comment.

“Lost 25% of his clothes and accessories. A time was had for sure. He actually makes being a celebrity look fun.”

She smiled.

“I love that for him. I miss the old school celebrity party pics. They don’t do that stuff publicly anymore. I miss those days. Shout out to Britney.”

She pulled up the Kylie Jenner cat food moment.

“In another random moment, Kylie Jenner was walking the red carpet at the Mark Hotel—the hotel they all stay at—and somebody had some cat food and asked her to sign it. Take a look.”

She played the clip.

“Asking Kylie Jenner to sign my cat food. Can you sign my cat food, please? Oh my god, my cat food. Yes, Kylie. Yes. Thank you so much, girl. We love you, Kylie.”

She laughed.

“That is an interaction. I mean, she does have her new cat that she’s obsessed with. I don’t even know where her dogs are nowadays because Timothée got her this cat, and ever since then, that’s been ruling her life.”

She pulled up the fifth hinge.

“Kylie Jenner signed cat food on the red carpet. That’s not weird. That’s just Tuesday in the Kardashian-Jenner universe. The fact that someone brought cat food to the Met Gala after-party is the real story. And the fact that Kylie signed it without blinking tells you everything about the level of absurdity we’ve reached.”

She pulled up the Beyoncé controversy. The photos. The angles. The internet being the internet.

“I do want to talk about some of the shady things that people are talking about on X. Like for example, Beyoncé’s post that she made on Instagram versus what she actually looked like. Now, at first I was like, ‘Wait, this can’t be real. Is this real? They did our girl Beyoncé so dirty with the angles and stuff.’”

She paused.

“Honestly, anyone could look like that if you got the wrong angle. I got that too. But people are being so nasty. ‘Beyoncé fails to be on Vogue’s best dressed stars.’ Oh, she failed to be on the best dressed stars. Damn. And she’s co-chair.”

She pulled up the interview clip.

“Is there one piece of art that has changed your life?”

“I would say my children.”

“One more time.”

“My children.”

“The greatest work of art.”

She paused.

“Now, somebody tried to troll her on the children answer. In the past, she’s actually said this before. Her greatest accomplishment is her children. And if she feels that way, then she should be able to feel this way.”

She pulled up a comment.

“You can tell that motherhood brings her genuine joy. I’m sure it would bring most people joy.”

Another: “If they had nannies, maids, cooks, tutors, etc. to help raise their kids like Beyoncé does for hers.”

She nodded.

“True. Those are a lot of chores.”

She pulled up the sixth hinge.

“Beyoncé said her children are her greatest art. The internet said she has nannies. Both things can be true. But only one of them is meant to hurt. And that tells you everything about who’s actually winning.”

She pulled up Rihanna’s bad angle. The one that went viral.

“Now, it wasn’t just Beyoncé who looked a little bit different at certain angles. Here’s Rihanna. And here’s—is that really Rihanna? I have a feeling that somebody created these, but I mean, with the wrong lighting, the wrong angle, it could be anyone.”

She pulled up Kim Kardashian.

“Kim Kardashian looked like she was half awake throughout the entire Met Gala. She’s actually been doing some press for Vogue ever since then. She was speaking about her last year’s controversy—the Marilyn Monroe dress when she ripped through it. This is what she has to say about it.”

She played the clip.

“You get the scandal of all time. Something looks fabulous with the perfect lighting and the angles, and then you go on the carpet—the worst lighting on the planet. And it’s like she’s a fraud. Like what a catfish. She looks nothing like that. And it’s like no, no, you have no clue what you’re working with. I did not tan or anything. I did a red carpet the day before, and it looked amazing. But on the carpet, you can look orange if the carpet’s red and it’s bouncing off of some—you know, it’s just carpets are scary.”

She pulled up a comment.

“She’s in love with herself. Good for her. We should all love ourselves. This is a good hair color on her.”

She nodded.

“I agree. It’s really not that deep. Kim is the queen of the Met Gala. If you agree, and I love that hairstyle and color on her. Good for Kim.”

She pulled up the seventh hinge.

“Kim Kardashian said the red carpet lighting makes everyone look orange. She’s not wrong. But the real scandal isn’t the lighting. It’s that she’s been doing this for twenty years and still hasn’t figured out how to work with it. Or maybe she has—and the ‘bad’ photos are just part of the brand now.”

She sat back. The screen cycled through the images—Rihanna in the car, ASAP avoiding her eyes, the journalist crying, Kylie signing cat food, Beyoncé’s children quote, Kim defending her orange skin.

“Rihanna and ASAP Rocky’s fight was the headline. But the real story is bigger than one couple. The Met Gala is supposed to be fashion’s biggest night. But this year, it felt like something else. It felt like a pressure cooker. And everyone inside was about to boil over.”

She paused.

“Rihanna was hungry. ASAP was distracted. Beyoncé got trolled. Kim defended her lighting. Kylie signed cat food. And somewhere in the middle of all of it, a Black journalist got a moment of encouragement that she’ll probably remember for the rest of her life.”

She pulled up the final hinge.

“The Met Gala is a circus. But circuses have ringleaders. And this year, the ringleaders were too busy fighting with their partners, defending their photos, and signing weird merchandise to notice that the tent was on fire. The only one who put out a flame was Rihanna—and she did it for a stranger, not for herself.”

She reached for her water.

“That is all I have for you guys. I hope you enjoyed this video. Let me know what you think in the comments below. Please go and subscribe to ‘Let’s Get Into It’ podcast. If you like getting into it with me, I’m just editing and putting this video together myself right now.”

She set the glass down.

“Also, if you think that the camera quality looks any better than previous videos, let me know because I changed it up. I tried to upgrade a little bit with my—not really an upgrade, it’s another iPhone. It’s like my old iPhone that had been sitting in my desk for like a year, and I was like, ‘Wait, I should try that one instead of my really, really old one.’ Like look, this is what I was filming on before.”

She held up the old phone.

“But I hope you guys enjoyed, and I’ll see you soon. Bye, guys.”